All men are created equal, until they covet tickets to an inaugural ball.
The natural habitat of a presidential inaugural ball ticket has long been the pocket of a political insider and his most moneyed supporters.
This year, despite president-elect Barack Obama's best efforts to end that legacy, perhaps even because of them, events will be more exclusive than ever.
Ten official inaugural balls and countless unofficial balls have been planned in Obama's honor. Thousands of tickets have been pledged to average Obama enthusiasts from all over the country, leaving many inaugural ball regulars out in the cold.
The official balls include a Commander-In-Chief Ball for soldiers and their families, a Youth Inaugural Ball for the 18-to-35 set, and a Neighborhood Inaugural Ball for Washington residents. The remainder of the official balls will be regional events, the hottest ticket being the Obama Home States Inaugural Ball for invited guests from Illinois and Hawaii.
Official balls are usually tightly packed affairs where dancing is difficult, food and drinks are scarce, and the coat-check lineups have been known to lead to minor riots. This year may be the worst yet for crowding, but tickets remain sought after because of the promise of a glimpse of Obama in the nascent hours of his presidency: He and his wife Michelle will dance at each of the official balls.
Demand was so high this year that many tickets were distributed through a random raffle process.
The business of building inaugural ball guest lists is a sticky one, according to Phillip Brooks, a historian who has served as the inaugural archivist in 1969, 1989 and 1993.
"Trying to figure who gets selected is always a chaotic process. I've seen it at work up close three times," he said.
Senators and members of Congress submit lists of people they want to invite months in advance, he added, and this year they were likely disappointed.
Each state throws a society ball, and although frequented mostly by homegrown politicians and their guests, these events are slightly less exclusive.
This year, Washington Life Magazine, a glossy political society must-read, has labeled them "not where you want to be" unless you enjoy balls "filled with middle-aged out-of-towners with white sneakers under their gowns."
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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